---

The evening air in the manor’s great hall carried a quiet warmth—soft candlelight flickering across carved stone walls, the scent of pine logs in the hearth, and laughter finally returning to our circle. After the storm of recent days, it felt tentative—but real.

I sat beside Damon at a long wooden table that bore platters of food leftover from the urgency earlier. Aria and Talia, both pressed gently into recovery, sat across from us. Lily rested nearby in a private ward but visited briefly to reassure us all she was safe—and that alone felt like a victory.

I sipped my wine, feeling strength return to my body. The moonlight...